United We Stand
by Please Delete No Longer In Use
Summary: The Titans have been arrested for crimes they didn't commit. The FBI have invaded their tower. A mysterious figure is manipulating everyone. The game is on. And this time, the Titans can't win.
1. The Meeting

**I know, I know, taking on 3 stories at one time (In the Heart, Origins, and this one) is a challenge but I promise I will do my best to update them all regularly. So...read on! And remember to R&R!

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****_"They've put bigger, and more powerful, monsters than me away." - Detective Hardy

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Prologue – The Meeting_**

A thick layer of fog tightened around Jump City, spurred on by the sudden, sharp gusts of wind that whistled through the cold night air. The moon's majestic glow was blocked slightly by a wreath of clouds that rippled along the black sky. Glittering stars studded it, adding extra decoration to the grand sight. In one of the back alleys of the city, a lone figure stood in absolute silence, his identity concealed by a large trench coat and hat.

He was fairly tall and heavily built. The hat and coat didn't disguise his thickset jaw and defined muscles. He stirred slightly as faint thumps began to resound throughout the alley. As they grew nearer and more familiar, he recognised them as footsteps. Another figure approached, this one barely visible. It seemed to be part of the fog, at one with it. It looked as if it were darkness…pure shadow.

"You're late," the figure already standing in the alley stated matter-of-factly.

The other person glided over to the speaker, and stopped. Its features were not distinctive, and only a silvery hook instead of a hand and glowing red eyes were perceptible.

"No." Its voice was cold, menacing, and full of malice. "Why did you call this meeting, Detective? You have all the information you need."

The detective removed his hat, revealing a handsome, serious man with chocolate brown skin and a thick, black moustache to match his hair. "What happens if they fight back?" he asked, ignoring his companion's comment.

"They most certainly will," the other replied.

The detective sighed. "Getting answers from you is like getting blood from a stone."

"If they fight back, you will resist."

"Easier said than done," the detective retorted."They've put bigger, and more powerful, monsters than me away. They have a track record of blowing up anyone that gets in their way."

"You are an FBI agent, Detective," the mysterious man reminded. "They would not dare to attack a government agent."

The detective didn't look completely convinced. "But what if - -"

"Be silent!" the shadowy figure admonished. "Go. Do your job, and do it well. You know what the price is for failure." With that warning, he moved back into the shadows, his red eyes still thrumming mercilessly, and faded into the blackness.

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**Preview fornext chapter: The Titans get a shock when the FBI pay a visit and place them under house arrest!**


	2. The Revelation

**I decided to send in 2 chapters tonight, just to give you a taster of the story. The Titans make their appearnce in this chapter, and I promise it will get more interesting in the next few chapters! R&R please!

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_"We don't want to fight you, Robin. But we will if we have to." - Detective Hardy_

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**

The Titan Tower towered above all else in Jump City, basking in the warm glow of the sun and watching the water sparkle beneath it. The blades of grass coating the front garden danced in tune with the wind. The lone, solitary gravel path leading up to the front door of the Tower crunched vigorously as it received something it hardly ever got – a visitor.

The man, dressed in a smart suit with an immaculate silk tie and clean, shined shoes, strolled up to the door, and, shifting his briefcase to his other hand, rapped his knuckles sharply against it. The glass panel swung open almost immediately, revealing a tall, slim girl with long, fiery red hair and bulbous emerald eyes. She was wearing a purple vest and mini-skirt, along with knee high purple boots and a metal silver plate around her neck.

"A thousand greetings, my friend!" she cried, clutching her hands together in excitement and jumping up and down. "How nice it is to have a guest!"

"Starfire, I presume?" the man asked, the movement of his lips ruffling his black moustache and dark skin.

Starfire immediately confirmed his assumption with a nod. "I am Starfire! What is the purpose of this wondrous visit?"

The man reached into his pocket and withdrew a small leather ID wallet. Flipping it open, he thrust it forward. "Detective Redmond Hardy, FBI. I'm here to speak with the Teen Titans."

"Please, come in!" Starfire invited, latching onto his arm and yanking him inside.

Hardy closed the door gently behind him, and gazed around. A large, bulky mechanical teen with a glowing crimson eye was positioned on the couch with a smaller, green-skinned boy wearing oversized gloves and boots seated beside him. Both were clutching a controller and furiously hitting buttons, muttering curses under their breath. Another girl was hovering above the floor, studying a large, leather-bound book intently, wearing a long, dark blue robe. Her pale skin and large violet eyes were framed nicely with neat, dark blue hair. A single gem was embedded on her forehead. The final occupant, apart from Starfire, was a tall, thin boy with spiked black hair and a black cape with yellow lining. He wore a yellow, red and green costume with a mask fitted over his eyes.

It was the masked boy that acknowledged Hardy's presence first. "Hey."

"Detective Hardy of the FBI," the government agent introduced himself and put his hand forward.

"Robin," the costumed teen informed. "Leader of the Teen Titans. Gimme a sec while I grab the others." He turned and called his friends' names. "Cyborg! Beast Boy! Raven! Over here! We've got a visitor!"

Cyborg rose and dragged Beast Boy away from the gamestation. It was a surprisingly hard job, even for the superstrong hero. Raven slowly and methodically closed her book, placed it on the floor, and flew over to their guest. Cyborg arrived with Beast Boy, whom he dumped unceremoniously on the floor. Raven formed a black clamp over his mouth before he could speak, so only a muffled squeak emerged.

"Okay," Robin began, swivelling back to Hardy. "What did you want to talk to us about?"

"You may want to sit down for this," Hardy warned, following the heroes to the sofa area.

"What gives?" Cyborg said bemusedly as he plopped down on the sofa.

Beast Boy added, "Yeah, it's not every day that an FBI agent comes to our door!"

"Let the man speak," Raven told them quietly but irritably.

Hardy nodded his thanks to the Goth girl, whose intense stare seemed to drill into his mind. "I don't know how to say this, but…I have no choice but to place you under house arrest."

"What?" Cyborg jumped to his feet angrily.

Beats Boy transformed into a dog and began to whine, whilst Robin took a furious step toward Hardy. "How can you do that? We've saved this city at least twenty times over, and you have the cheek to come in and place us under house arrest!"

"What are you accusing us of, Detective Hardy?" Raven questioned.

"I have evidence that this Tower was illegally obtained," Hardy explained.

Starfire frowned, her eyes flittering about in distress. "Illegally obtained? What do you mean?"

"I mean," Hardy snapped impatiently, "that this Tower was constructed without permission, with stolen material."

"And why does this case require the FBI?" Robin retorted.

Hardy snickered. "We believe that the material was also stolen from the FBI itself. Ordinary police wouldn't have a chance against you if you resisted."

"Point taken, but was bringing ten full squads of armed FBI troops really necessary?" Robin shot back.

"TEN SQUADS?" Beast Boy screamed in despair. Anxious tears began to stream down his face as he jumped up and down and tugged at his hair.

"You have a proficient eye, Robin," the detective complimented. "Most people wouldn't have spotted the cloaked shock troops in the back garden."

"Oh, I didn't spot them," Robin explained. "I'm a light sleeper, and one hundred and twenty-two troops landing in our back yard is kinda disruptive."

"If you knew that there were troops in our back garden, then why didn't you tell us?" Raven queried.

Robin shrugged. "Two reasons – one, I wanted to see why they were there, and two, I couldn't find the last listening device they placed, and if they heard me telling you, they would've attacked. I didn't want any casualties."

"Enough talk!" Hardy interrupted. "My troops and I have a job to do!"

At that moment, dozens of troops began to march into the room, each carrying a rifle and wearing thick combat armour. Robin growled as they placed power-inhibiting collars around Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven's necks and placed a small device on Cyborg that sent an energy charge through him. The half-human, half-robot teen was instantly paralysed. The troops tried to handcuff Robin, but the Boy Wonder somersaulted forward, flipping over Hardy and landing by the front door in a combat stance.

"We don't want to fight you, Robin," Hardy told him. "But we will if we have to."

"I won't let you hurt my friends!" Robin withdrew his bo staff from his belt and whirled it around his head. It swung out to full size as he span it, and he pushed it out behind him, thrusting his other fist forward.

"We're not going to hurt you or your friends," Hardy said calmly. "We are merely going to detain them. We can't have them running free, in case they interfere with the investigation."

"There shouldn't be any investigation!" Robin quipped. "We did not obtain this Tower illegally, nor is it built from stolen materials!"

"That may be the case, but we need to check," Hardy said, a reassuring smile on his face. "Please, Robin, your innocence will not be proved if you don't cooperate."

Slowly and reluctantly, Robin retracted his bo staff and placed it back his belt, which the troops swiftly removed. They secured handcuffs around his gloved hands and pushed him down onto the sofa next to the rest of the team.

"Can I ask a question?" he mumbled.

Hardy nodded and turned to face the teenager. "Of course."

"Where did you get this 'evidence' you spoke of?"

Hardy turned away. "I'm afraid that's confidential."

Robin cursed inwardly. _What is this?__

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**Preview for next chapter: The Titans are sent to the Cage, a metahuman prison. Also: Hardy makes contact with a familiar person.**


	3. The Investigation

**Chapter 3 – The Investigation**

A shiver crept down Starfire's spine as the female cook of her containment area slopped a dollop of discoloured stew onto her plate. The Tamaranian gazed at it disgustedly, but moved on through the long line of brightly costumed people, taking a knife and fork and working her way across the containment chamber to where Robin was literally ramming the stew down his throat, and retching as he did it.

Starfire sat on the floor beside him. "Hello, friend." Her normally upbeat voice was weary, and her usual tanned skin was dull and flaky.

"Hey, Star," Robin mumbled through a mouthful of stew.

"Robin…I am worried," Starfire told him, seating herself beside the Boy Wonder.

"About what?" Robin tossed his bowl of stew away and turned to face his companion.

"About Beast Boy. About Raven. About Cyborg. About you. About…everything." Starfire looked troubled and upset, and that made Robin angry. The Tamaranian girl continued. "I wish none of this had ever happened."

"We all do," Robin said comfortingly, slipping his hand into hers and squeezing reassuringly. "But we will get out of this. I promise you."

"But how can we 'get out of this' if we are all trapped in this prison?" Starfire questioned anxiously.

"Not all of us, Star," Robin replied, grinning slyly. "Not all of us…"

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He existed in the shadows and the night. He avenged those ravaged by crime and hunted those that would commit felonies. He was the Batman, and he fought for justice…and he was not going to let his former student be imprisoned for a crime that he most likely did not commit. So it was that as soon as darkness enveloped the cities of Jump and Gotham, Batman made his way to the Titans Tower and slipped inside, silently observing the investigations of the accusers.

He took particular care in watching Hardy, the leading detective in the investigation. But as his observations told him nothing, he decided to get the truth another way – by confronting the detective himself.

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Hardy made his way up to the roof of Titans Tower to contact his master once again. Pulling up his sleeve to reveal his watch, he glanced around to check that no one was watching. After confirmation of this, he turned and reached for his watch…only to discover that it was no longer on his wrist. A tingling sensation hissed down his spine, and he slowly raised his gaze to see a giant of a man shrouded in a blue-black cape stood before him.

"B-B-Batman!" Hardy shrieked in terror.

The vigilante was examining the detective's watch intently. "Hm…this watch seems to have some sort of communication device attached to it. Let's see who you are contacting at this time of night, Detective."

"Please, give me my w-watch back," Hardy stammered.

Batman shot a scornful glare at the 'detective', who froze instantly. The Dark Knight's fingers worked at the watch, until the glass frame popped off and he tossed it aside. It let out a crack that suddenly yanked Hardy back to reality. His stomach lurched, and his heart hammered inside his chest. He opened his mouth to protest, but his throat closed up and only a panicked rasp emerged. He staggered back, shock overwhelming him. This was _the _Batman. The Batman that terrorized criminals. The Batman that smashed crime rates and brought them to an all-time low. The Batman that ate crooks like him for breakfast.

Hardy reached inside his jacket and withdrew a pistol. He levelled it at the vigilante's head, and secured his finger around the trigger. "Just give me back the watch," he managed to blurt out. "Or I'll decorate that wall with your brains." Batman glanced once again at the detective, narrowed his eyes, and returned to probing the watch. Hardy gritted his teeth, and tightened his grip. "What's the matter, punk? Didn't ya hear me? Why can't scum like you just stay in Gotham? I'll kill you, here and now!"

Batman continued to fiddle with the watch. "Empty threats don't scare me, Detective," he said without looking up.

"You think I won't shoot you?" Hardy muttered, and pulled the trigger. The bullet zoomed through the air and impacted on the vigilante's head. He recoiled for a moment, and clamped a hand to the burning spot…Hardy grinned…but Batman merely yanked the bullet free of its lodgings and cast it aside.

"Now I didn't say that you wouldn't shoot me, Hardy," he growled menacingly. "I said that you wouldn't kill me." He tapped the smouldering groove in his headgear, and explained. "Kevlar can live through practically anything…even a bullet at point blank range." He paused for a moment, as approaching footsteps begin to echo in the stairwell below them. The troops were heading to the roof! "That bullet wasn't such a good idea, Hardy!" he snarled, and backhanded the detective across the face.

Hardy cried out and fell to his knees. He prodded his already swelling cheek, feeling a bruise form on his skin. A second blow sent blood spurting from his nose, and several shattered teeth swimming madly in the crimson liquid that clogged his mouth. The third and final strike sent him sprawling to the roof. The footsteps became louder.

"You will regret framing them, Hardy," Batman hissed, and, tucking the watch into his belt, launched himself off the roof as twenty armed men sprinted through the hatchway.

"Detective? What happened?" an agent who's name lapel read 'Porter' asked, crouching down beside him. "Goodness…you're smashed to pieces!"

"Yeah…" Hardy murmured in agony. "I am, aren't I?"

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Raven gazed out of the viewport, ignoring the surging crowd that jostled her sideways. It was amazing; even with such disgusting food, the inmates of the Cage were still anxious to get to the front of the queue. She took a deep breath, biting down on the unpleasant sensation of being crushed into the wall by hundreds of convicted criminals. She focused on the calming, rhythmic motion of the sea…but even that couldn't comfort her. The murky depths prevented sight for more than five metres ahead, and there was no particular rhythm to the water's violent buffets.

"Raven?" a familiar voice called. "Where are you?"

Raven held up a hand, and a moment later, her companion, a prison jumpsuit-clad metahuman known as Beast Boy, appeared next to her. She glanced at him. "Did you get yourself some food?"

The changeling nodded, and passed her a grimy, chipped bowl filled with an unrecognisable green goo. "I got you some, too."

Raven narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the strange food, and tossed it aside casually. She adjusted her own jumpsuit, and shivered. "Shall we go to the library?"

Beast Boy nodded eagerly, and began to lead the way through the sea of superhumans, aiming for the exit at the other side of the food hall. When they finally reached the doorway, the duo slipped through and turned left, entering the prison library. It was a relatively large chamber, with seven bookcases from side to side, and several seating arrangements scattered throughout the facility. They chose a table beside one of the bookcases, and sat in silence whilst Beast Boy probed the 'stew' with his fork.

He sighed dramatically, and pushed the bowl aside. "I can't believe this! We saved the city, like, a thousand times, and we've been thrown in prison and forced to eat this stinkin' pile of goop that they call food!"

Raven removed a book from its shelf and seated herself at the desk. "Yes, we've been unfairly convicted and treated like common criminals. It's life. Deal with it."

Beast Boy gritted his teeth. "But I can't! It's like…I dunno…I'm starting to feel…well…kinda…guilty. Even though we didn't do anything…I feel guilty. Nobody seems to understand."

Before Raven could reply, a new voice interjected. "I understand."

Both Titans turned their heads to study the new arrival. He was tall and slim, with faded emerald skin and unkempt jade hair accompanied by a defined jawline accentuated by stubble. He was attired in armour a darker shade of green than his skin; a chestplate, legplates, and gauntlets that were strapped around his wrists.

"Who are you?" Raven questioned.

"My name is Vine," the boy said with a friendly grin. "Welcome to the Cage."

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**I hope you enjoyed! Please review!**

**Next chapter: Raven and BB learn more about their strange visitor, Batman pays a visit to Amanda Waller, Cyborg attempts to escape, and Robin and Starfire discover a disturbing secret.**

**Guest-starring: Plastic Man, Power Girl, Zauriel, and the Justice League!**


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